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...&&....& &&&.&&&...
...&.&...& ...&&..&..
...&&&&..& &..&.&.&&.
...&...&.& IN THE ENDLESS WINTER DAY, ON THE .&.&&&&&.&
&..&&..&&& CRYSTAL WHITE PLAINS... WE TRUDGE ALONG &&&&....&&
.&.&.&.&.. THE TRAIN TRACKS... THEMSELVES SLOWLY &...&...&.
.&&&&&&&&. SNOWED OVER, IN THE STILL HOURS SINCE .&..&&..&&
&&.......& THE LAST SUPPLY TRAIN. &&&.&.&.&.
&.&......& &..&&&&&&&
.&&&.....& BELL-LIKE SOUNDS OF THE BLINDING .&.&......
.&..&....& GROUND. RIFLES ATTACHED TO OUR WRIST, &&&&&.....
.&&.&&...& SHARING IN OUR BLOODSTREAM. MY HUSKY, .....&....
.&.&&.&..& MY WARM-COFFEE-IN-COLD-SNOW... .....&&...
.&&&.&&&.& .....&.&..
.&..&&..&& THE FIRST FIVE SHOTS YOU CAN SPEND &....&&&&.
.&&.&.&.&. INDISCRIMINATELY, THEY HURT BUT DEAL NO &&...&...&
&&.&&&&&&& LONG TIME DAMAGE TO THE SHOOTER. THE &.&..&&..&
..&&...... NEXT FIVE YOU MUST SPEND WISELY, THEY .&&&.&.&.&
&.&.&..... WILL TAKE DAYS TO HEAL. THE FINAL FIVE .&..&&&&&&
.&&&&&.... YOU MUST NOT SPEND AT ALL. &&&.&.....
.&....&... &..&&&....
.&&...&&.. WEEKS EARLIER, IN THE WEAK AUTUMN DAWN, .&.&..&...
.&.&..&.&. IN THE BLUE-GRAY FOG... SOMETHING IS &&&&&.&&..
.&&&&.&&&& BURNING WITH A DEEP CRIMSON FLAME, .....&&.&.
.&...&&... UNTAMEABLE BY WATER OR WIND. &....&.&&&
&&&..&.&.. &&...&&&..
&..&.&&&&. &.&..&..&.
&&.&&&...& .&&&.&&.&&
..&&..&..& .&..&&.&&.
..&.&.&&.& &&&.&.&&.&